Statement of Hope

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Faith and Society, for which FaithAction is the secretariat, has released a Statement of Hope. For more information, please visit the APPG’s website.

In the summer of 2016, we find ourselves in difficult times as a nation. The reverberating context of the economic crash of 2008 and the growth of terrorism, crisis and wars in recent years have resulted in a great movement of people, which has led to distant problems rippling into our local settings. The European Referendum campaign and its aftermath have served as a lightning rod, and the result is great concern about uncertainty and intolerance.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Faith and Society was formed to support and promote the work of faith organisations in the United Kingdom. Faith groups are often the very glue of society; they provide a place for people to come together, they seek out solutions, and they provide hope. We want to affirm these values of community and hope for the United Kingdom today.

Today, we need to draw on this legacy for the whole of the United Kingdom.

We, the undersigned, agree…

• That the United Kingdom has been and will continue to be a place of tolerance and sanctuary;
• That this nation has been and will continue to be at the forefront of the development of democracy, rights and freedom, that we are proud of these traditions, and that they are our most lasting export;
• That we have been and will continue to be a dynamic nation where many settle and play an important part in our economy and cultural life;
• That we have a hope in our nation; that the United Kingdom continues to have a positive role to play in the world;
• That we continue to have purpose to benefit not only the people of the United Kingdom, but also of Europe, the Commonwealth and the rest of the world.

#UKHope16

Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP
Chair of APPG on Faith and Society
Member of Parliament for East Ham

Gary Streeter MP

Member of Parliament for South West Devon

Fiona Bruce MP
Member of Parliament for Congleton

The Baroness Neuberger DBE
Member of the House of Lords

The Rt Hon the Lord Tyler
Member of the House of Lords

Rt Hon David Lammy MP
Member of Parliament for Tottenham

Steve Double MP
Member of Parliament for St Austell and Newquay